Water-Quality Sensors

   Field Monitoring Quality Assurance Initiative

Challenge: Environmental sensor technology for field applications is rapidly evolving. The development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for many of these technologies and applications has not kept pace and gaps have emerged that hinder the inter-comparability of data and collaboration. The result is degraded data quality and reduced productivity in the field. There is also no central repository available for users to access SOPs for field measurements compare sensing technologies, performance specifications, deployment guidelines, and greenness profiles.

Objectives: To convene a workgroup of experts on sensors to consider efforts to address these challenges in one or more of the following ways:

• Develop SOPs for the calibration, QA/QCl, maintenance, and the deployment of field based environmental sensors. These products will be introduced at the 2010 National Monitoring Conference in Denver, CO, April 25-29, 2010.
• Make recommendations for the creation of a data base to store relevant information on sensors to allow potential users to make informed decisions on the use of sensors for their projects
• Recommend types of sensors that are appropriate for the National Monitoring Network in freshwater, estuarine and coastal environments

Partners: The Sensors QA Initiative is possible due to contributions from dedicated professionals associated with the following agencies, organizations, and companies:

• YSI, Inc.
• U.S. Geological Survey
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Park Service
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
• In-Situ, Inc.
• Hach Co.
• Greenspan Analytical
• Virginia Tech. University
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• NOAA's Alliance for Coastal Technologies

ACWI - NWQMC


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Page last modified: January 7, 2010 8:04 AM